1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to means for receiving and retaining members. It relates further to reception and retention of members which have been assembled from smaller units and to means for assuring that the units have been properly assembled together. It relates particularly to mating clips which may be opened to receive and closed to retain mated electrical connectors. Retaining shoulders associated with the clips and connectors are such that they must be mated positively in a particular way indicative of the completion of good connections before the clips may be closed. The clips are provided with oppositely extending arms for support of cable ties and to provide cable strain relief in alignment with the connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical connectors which are mated to complete connections between separate electrical circuits generally consist of plug, or male, and receptacle, or female, parts which are held together by friction after being mated. Such electrical connectors include contact inserts which are frequently made flexible for application to a wide range of circuits including electrical brake circuits and the like and are likely to be damaged if subjected to extreme flexure or bending. With such connectors there is a distinct possibility that a poor connection may be made at the time the parts are mated or that the parts will become partially or completely separated and therefore provide either a poor connection or a complete break in the connections. In some instances, sealing surfaces are provided on the mating insert members for environmental protection and incomplete mating can result in an ineffective seal. Strain on wires or cables leading to the connectors may cause them to be bent causing a deterioration in individual wire seals or in the wires themselves.
Prior art connector housing members have been proposed in accordance with disclosures such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,030,601 and 3,344,393. However, these prior art disclosures have not included means for accepting only mated connector members or for providing a structure of non-elastomeric material with retention shoulders spaced apart a predetermined distance to serve as positive stops against movement of the connector members in an unmating direction. Consequently, they do not enable a determination to be made that connector members are completely mated at the time the housing is applied. Also, they do not provide positive interfaces between the housing and the connector such that the respective parts of the connector will not come unmated after the connector has been installed in the housing. It is noted also that the housings shown in the prior art do not provide a rigid body about the respective connectors to prevent flexible connectors from bending when subjected to bending forces.